G-FORCE: the effectiveness of group psychotherapy for Cluster-C personality disorders: protocol of a pragmatic RCT comparing psychodynamic and two forms of schema group therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cluster-C personality disorders (PDs), characterized by a high level of fear and anxiety, are related to high levels of distress, societal dysfunctioning and chronicity of various mental health disorders. Evidence for the optimal treatment is extremely scarce. Nevertheless, the need to treat these patients is eminent. In clinical practice, group therapy is one of the frequently offered approaches, with two important frameworks: schema therapy and psychodynamic therapy. These two frameworks suggest different mechanisms of change, but until now, this has not yet been explored. The purpose of the present G-FORCE trial is to find evidence on the differential (cost)effectiveness of two forms of schema group therapy and psychodynamic group therapy in the routine clinical setting of an outpatient clinic and to investigate the underlying working mechanisms and predictors of outcome of these therapies. METHODS: In this mono-centre pragmatic randomized clinical trial, 290 patients with Cluster-C PDs or other specified PD with predominantly Cluster-C traits, will be randomized to one of three treatment conditions: group schema therapy for Cluster-C (GST-C, 1 year), schema-focused group therapy (SFGT, 1.5 year) or psychodynamic group therapy (PG, 2 years). Randomization will be pre-stratified on the type of PD. Change in severity of PD (APD-IV) over 24 months will be the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures are personality functioning, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life. Potential predictors and mediators are selected and measured repeatedly. Also, a cost-effectiveness study will be performed, primarily based on a societal perspective, using both clinical effects and quality-adjusted life years. The time-points of assessment are at baseline, start of treatment and after 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. DISCUSSION: This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of three formats of group psychotherapy for Cluster-C PDs. Additionally, predictors, procedure and process variables are analysed to investigate the working mechanisms of the therapies. This is the first large RCT on group therapy for Cluster-C PDs and will contribute improving the care of this neglected patient group. The absence of a control group can be considered as a limitation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CCMO, NL72826.029.20 . Registered on 31 August 2020, first participant included on 18 October 2020.

Individual psychotherapy for cluster-C personality disorders: protocol of a pragmatic RCT comparing short-term psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy, affect phobia therapy and schema therapy (I-FORCE).

BACKGROUND: Cluster-C personality disorders (PDs) are highly prevalent in clinical practice and are associated with unfavourable outcome and chronicity of all common mental health disorders (e.g. depression and anxiety disorders). Although several forms of individual psychotherapy are commonly offered in clinical practice for this population, evidence for differential effectiveness of different forms of psychotherapy is lacking. Also, very little is known about the underlying working mechanisms of these psychotherapies. Finding evidence on the differential (cost)-effectiveness for this group of patients and the working mechanisms of change is important to improve the quality of care for this vulnerable group of patients. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we will compare the differential (cost)-effectiveness of three individual psychotherapies: short-term psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy (SPSP), affect phobia therapy (APT) and schema therapy (ST). Although these psychotherapies are commonly used in clinical practice, evidence for the Cluster-C PDs is limited. Additionally, we will investigate predictive factors, non-specific and therapy-specific mediators. METHODS: This is a mono-centre randomized clinical trial with three parallel groups: (1) SPSP, (2) APT, (3) ST. Randomization on patient level will be pre-stratified according to type of PD. The total study population to be included consists of 264 patients with Cluster-C PDs or other specified PD with mainly Cluster-C traits, aged 18-65 years, seeking treatment at NPI, a Dutch mental health care institute specialized in PDs. SPSP, APT and ST (50 sessions per treatment) are offered twice a week in sessions of 50 min for the first 4 to 5 months. After that, session frequency decreases to once a week. All treatments have a maximum duration of 1 year. Change in the severity of the PD (ADP-IV) will be the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures are personality functioning, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life. Several potential mediators, predictors and moderators of outcome are also assessed. The effectiveness study is complemented with a cost-effectiveness/utility study, using both clinical effects and quality-adjusted life-years, and primarily based on a societal approach. Assessments will take place at baseline, start of treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. DISCUSSION: This is the first study comparing psychodynamic treatment to schema therapy for Cluster-C PDs. The naturalistic design enhances the clinical validity of the outcome. A limitation is the lack of a control group for ethical reasons. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NL72823.029.20 [Registry ID: CCMO]. Registered on 31 August 2020. First participant included on 23 October 2020.

Unconscious classical conditioning of sexual arousal: evidence for the conditioning of female genital arousal to subliminally presented sexual stimuli.

INTRODUCTION: Although the assumption that sexual behavior is at least partly learned is common across theories of sexual behavior, classical conditioning of sexual response in women has been seldom studied. AIM: The study of unconscious classical conditioning of appetitive sexual responses in women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Vaginal pulse amplitude assessed by vaginal photoplethysmography, and ratings of sexual affective value. METHODS: Pavlovian conditioning was examined in 18 sexually functional women by using two erotic pictures as conditional stimuli (CSs) and genital vibrotactile stimulation as unconditional stimulus (US). During the acquisition phase, the CSs were presented briefly (30 ms) and were masked by an immediately following masking stimulus. Only one CS (the CS+) was followed by the US during the acquisition phase. Conditioned responses were assessed during the extinction phase with supraliminal presentations of the CS+ and the CS-. RESULTS: Vaginal pulse amplitude was higher in response to the CS+ than during the CS- during the first extinction trial. There was no conditioning effect on ratings of affective value. CONCLUSION: The experiment demonstrates evidence for unconscious conditioning of genital responses in women, but no evidence for evaluative conditioning. The results add to the limited evidence for classical conditioning of sexual arousal in women, and to increasing evidence for associative emotional learning without awareness.